Maui blind kite flier aims to inspire others

PUKALANI (HawaiiNewsNow) – Ralph Council has been flying kites for the last six decades.

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“I’m totally blind from day one to death,” Council said. “No eyeballs, no optic nerves.”

He is not sure what caused his congenital condition but suspects it could be genetic because his sister and nephew have similar conditions.

Overcoming challenges

Over the years, he has learned to adapt through life’s challenges.

“It was more the little kids. ‘Why can’t you open your eyes? Why can’t you see?’ I remember one time I was at this park, and I think there were two of them. These two boys come up. ‘Hey, blindy. Hey, blindy,’ and they kept at it. Well, I had just learned to wrestle. So, I chased one kid and got him down,” said Council.

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Despite those hardships, it has never stopped him from doing what he loves.

He is a drone enthusiast, a keyboard player, a singer, a songwriter and a comedian.

Council says he loves his life just the way it is.

“There is no operation or treatment that will ever make me see. Even though some people keep saying, ‘Oh, they’ll come up with something.’ Yeah, right. Come on folks, get real. But hey, I’ve been this way all my life, and even if something like that did come along, I wouldn’t really want it because this is part of what I am,” Council said.

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And at 73 years old, he is still hoping Hollywood will find him.